Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
Neil Fingleton's title was confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records in 2007

Britain's tallest man, who played a giant in Game of Thrones, has died, reportedly of a heart attack, at the age of 36.

Neil Fingleton, from Durham, was 7ft 7in tall, and was a basketball player in the US before moving into acting.

He played Mag The Mighty in the TV fantasy series, and also worked on X-Men and Dr Who, in which he played the Fisher King monster.

His title as Britain's tallest man was confirmed in 2007.

Speaking on his decision to become an actor, which followed his retirement from basketball due to injury, Mr Fingleton said: "There are tens of millions of people in this country, and I'm the tallest, which is a very special thing.

"So why not use it to my advantage and be recognised, not just for being tall but for being a talented actor."

Image copyrightGeoff Caddick

Image caption
Neil Fingleton was behind the mask of the Fisher King monster in Dr Who